Effectiveness of Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance in Parkinson’s Disease: A Case Report

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder causing impaired motor function and various non-motor symptoms. One of the most common problems in Parkinson’s patients is occupational performance problems. The cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP) is one of the client-centered and problem-solving approaches in occupational therapy evaluations and interventions. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the CO-OP approach on perceived satisfaction and occupational performance in a 62-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease.

Case Description: 

The client was a 62-year-old woman with moderate cognitive impairment, stage 3 on the Hoehn and Yahr scale, and signs of depression. In our case study, the outcome measures were the Canadian occupational performance measure (COPM), functional independence measure (FIM), Montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA), and Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II). We administered the CO-OP intervention for six weeks. Sessions were performed twice a week for one hour per session.

The results indicate that the CO-OP intervention improves the client’s satisfaction, occupational performance, and functional independence. Although the results from this single case cannot be generalized, the findings suggest that CO-OP intervention may help improve satisfaction and occupational performance in adults with Parkinson’s disease. Further investigation is necessary.

These results suggest that CO-OP can be a valuable occupational therapy interventions for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. We recommend that occupational therapists consider using this approach in their practice to improve the occupational performance of their patients with Parkinson’s disease.